Half of all home-heating-related fires occur in December, January and February. Here are some tips for using space heaters safely:

• Try using space heaters as supplemental heating in only the rooms occupied by people. To make the most of this energy-efficient option known as zone heating, turn down the thermostat for your central heating system and close the doors of occupied and unoccupied rooms to avoid heat loss.

• In addition to keeping anything flammable 3 feet away from a portable heater, consider installing child safety gates or some other barrier around those without "cool-touch" housing to prevent children and pets from being burned.

• Register your new heating device with the manufacturer. That way you can be contacted if there is a product recall or a product safety issue develops. Also check cpsc.gov for product recall alerts.

• Avoid bending, crushing or other manipulation of the cord that might damage the fine wires inside it. Examine the cord routinely for cracks or frayed wires. Regularly check the heater’s plug for signs of melting, an indication that the unit is overheating.

• Have a qualified electrician or repair person examine any damage of a home heating unit to determine if it is functioning properly.

• To ensure efficient airflow, regularly vacuum or brush dust from all space heater openings before turning the unit on.

• Extension cords are meant to be temporary and, when used improperly, can cause dangerous circuit overloads. Always plug devices into permanent wall outlets whenever possible. This is especially true for space heaters, since most extension cords don’t have sufficient capacity to power them.

• Never leave a space heater unattended. The NFPA recommends turning off space heaters when you leave the room or go to bed.

• Only buy heaters that are listed by Underwriter’s Laboratories or Intertek. Read and follow manufacturer’s instructions for all space heaters.

• Space heaters use a lot of energy to operate. Only plug them into outlets where they won’t have to share electrical circuits with other major appliances.